A Moment of Truth

Distracted driving isn’t something that’s new to our society. Whether it’s kids in the backseat complaining, or your passenger giving less than optimal directions, it’s not uncommon to have something drawing your attention away from the road. However, in recent years, distracted driving has increased at alarming rates. The culprit of this phenomenon? Cell phones. Smart phones have become more and more popular, to the point where nearly everyone has one. People always want to stay connected with friends and family, through either text or call. Unfortunately, texting or calling while driving has led to millions of deaths. Even though using cell phones while driving is extremely dangerous, it is still legal in some states. The usage of cell phones should be banned in all states because it is dangerous for drivers and their passengers as well as other people on the road.

I was able to experience the dangers of texting while driving first hand. It happened a few months ago and I was in the passenger’s seat while my friend was driving. We were having a conversation and laughing, and there wasn’t too much traffic so neither of us weren’t paying as much attention to the road. Her phone lights up, signaling a notification and she grabs her phone to look at it. All of a sudden a car out of nowhere pulls out directly in front of us. I yelled something along the lines of “car!” in shock. She had to slam on the breaks and swerve out of the way just to avoid a collision. It was an extremely scary situation and even though we both got out of it alright, we were both very shaken up afterwards. If I hadn’t alerted her, there’s a chance neither of us would be here today. This is what makes texting and driving so scary. When there is an emergency, everything happens in a single moment. And you have to react in an even shorter amount of time. When you are on your phone, it is impossible to react in time, which could result in great injury or even death in many cases. I am extremely fortunate to be here today and to have been able to alert my friend of the incoming danger.

This is why it is so important to raise awareness about the dangers of texting and driving. My friend thought she would be safe. There weren’t many cars on the road and she only glanced down for a little bit just to check a notification. And even still, disaster struck. In many cases of incidents with texting and driving, there won’t be a passenger to alert the driver. But, how do we solve this problem? It’s all about letting others know how dangerous it can be. Even I didn’t understand the true harm texting and driving could bring until I witnessed it firsthand. I believe the best way would be to introduce this idea as early as possible. Middle school would most likely be the best age as it is still a few years before they are learning how to drive. I think a great way to prove how harmful it actually is, is to provide a simulation of what it looks like to text and drive to show how much of the road you can miss just by looking down for a half-second. I also think it is important to teach parents not to text and drive. Many parents may think it’s okay to text and drive because they are older and have more experience but this is simply not the case. Parents also act as role models for their children and if a child grows up constantly seeing a parent texting and driving, they are more likely to think that this practice is okay and start doing it too when they’re old enough to drive. They also may be more likely to not say anything if a friend or another adult is using a cell phone while driving. Most importantly, texting and driving should be illegal in all states. While it is illegal in most, there are still some states where it is legal. This is very dangerous and can encourage cell phone usage while driving. If State Governments all show firm beliefs against texting and driving and create strict laws against it, there will be far less accidents caused by the distraction of a cell phone. It will also make roads safer for not just inexperienced teens, but everyone who uses a road to travel. This can create overall safer families and safer communities.